Rotary valve



Mar.13,1923. 1,447,980

- G. As. H EATH ROTARY VALVE Filed ocu. 25, 1919 2 sheets-sheet f1; l

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.llnlfl 1| ll/l' l l 1 Mar.13,1923. 1,447,980 E RRRRRRRRRRR E 2 sheets-sheet 2 1 IIIIIIIIIII Z595 A ff Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

GEORGE S. VHEATH, OF FORT BAYARD, NEV MEXICO.

ROTARY VALVE.

Application filed October 243, 1919. Serial No. `332,738,

This invention relates to valve structures of the rotary type, and in its preferred form has reference more particularlyy to al conical valve, more especially designed for use on internal combustion and steam engines.

The main object of the invention is' to provide a valve structure of the type above mentioned of. superior reliability, efficiency, and durability for both inlet andexhaust service, and more especially onewhich, by reason of its novel structure and operating 2G mechanism,`will .prevent leakage of motive fluid; and this object is attained by a con-,

struction in which `the valve has no moving gas-tightjoint other than between the surfaces of the valve and valve-seat, where wear is compensated by reason of an automatic adjustment. of the valve on its seat under` spring pressure, such automatic adjustment being permitted through the employment ofy an operating mechanism which permits a limited but sufficient side play of the valvef fanti-friction bearings 17 and 18, and may in every direction to insure a vgas-tight fit, so that the valve is held in alinement solely by, and has no other bearing surface than, the valve seat, and is self-adjusting in a manner independent of the valve operating mechanismor (in a multi-cylinderengine) the other corresponding valves. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary valve structure in which shall 4:0 be incorporated an improved means for-accurately controlling the distribution of oil .for its lubrication withoutwaste ofoil or y.leakage-into the port or port-s controlled by the valve. My invention, its manner of operation, and the advantages inherent therein, will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in` connection withk the accompanying-drawings in which I have illustrated a practical and workable embodiment of the invention, and in which- Fig.` 1 is a longitudinal arial section of i my improved rotary valve,showing also in cross-section a fragment of the cylinder served by the valve;

yon the line 2-2 Fig. 2 is a crosssection of Fig. 1; y y

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line ofFig.1;and 1yr.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.. Billustrating the automatic universal radial adjustability of the valve relatively togvloperating mechanism. i

Referring ,to vthe drawings, 5 vdesignates as an entirety a valve housing orV casing formed `with a conicalfvalve seat 6, a lateral port 7 leading from said valve-seat and com-` municating with the lateralport of an'f engine cylinder 9, anda lateral portv 10communilcatingwith an intake ,or exhaust pipe (not shown). l

Occupying the valveseat 6 is a conical valve body 11, formed with lan axial bore 12, this bore being enlarged at` one end to` form ay socket 12 for a coil compression spring 13. In one end ofthe valve body are formed apair of oppositely ,disposed radial lslotsl 14 communicating at theirl inner ends with the enlarged' end 12'V of 'the bore. yIn one side Iof the. valve bodyI is formed an arcuatel'valve portf15f that;"oncel during each rotation of the valve affords a' communication between the portsl? and 10.

Extending through the bore of thevalve is a driving shaft 16, that is journaled in be operated by a chainvand sprocket drive l 9 asis 4usual iny valves vof this general type. rIhis shaft 16 1s of sufficiently less diameter l than the valvebore 12 to afford lconsiderable clearance betweenl the two for the full. length ofthe valve, las, shown in Fig. jl, so that',

although' the shaft rotates the" valve by ymeans next to be described,`ithas no bearving in or on the valve.

In accordance with the present invention, lthe shaft 16 is drivingly engagedl with the valvel through a couplingwhich allows both a relative universalside playand end play valve can be self-adjusting to its seat without hindrance from` or interferencel by the shaft. This coupling may take a vvariety of `i specific forms,'but `that herein shown comprises aV yoke-like member 20 that straddles a flattened section 16 ofy the shaft and is formed with apair yof oppositely extending arms 2144 that lie inthe slots '14 of the y than the distance betweenthe outer ends of f on the shaft in the direction of one diameter of the latter, and it is also bodily shiftable relatively to the valve in a direction at right angles to said diameter` lt will further be observed by reference to Fig. l, that the-yoke 2O and its-arms 2l are somewhat narrower than the slots la of the valve, so that longitudinal motion in the valve ll in an outward direction .to the extent required-for lself-adjustment is opposed or restricted only by the tension of the spring 13.l

The spring 13 is confined endwise under pressure tin the socket l2 between the bottom of the latter and an annular washer 13 surrounding the shaft 16 with clearance, as sho-wn in Fig. l, and abutting against the yoke 20 and its arms 21; said spring serving to constantly urge the valve en'dwise to a snugvit on its seat. The washer 13 is not essential, and may be omitted if desired. Effective lubrication of the valve is provided for by the following structural features. 22 designates an arcuate groove or channel formed in and transversely of the small'end of the valve body 11; this channel, las shown in 2, terminating short of the linesmarking' the opposite longitudinal vedges ofthe valve port l5. This channel 22 communicates during a portion of each revolution of the vaglvewith an oil supply duct 23 formed in the valve casing andnsupplied with oil through 'a pipe 2li.

,25 vdesignates an oildistributing groove or channel formed in and lengthwise of the valve rseat one end of said channel 25 communicating during the same portion of each revolution of the valve with the channel 22; which latter, as shown in Fig. l, is wide enough to overlapv .the adjacent ends of both the duct 23 and the channel 25. @il is supplied underpressure or gravity, so that the distributing channel 25 is filled with oil under pressure except'during that portion of the revolution when theiinnei` .end of duct 23 is cut off from channel A25 by the solid portion of the valve surface lying between the ends of the arcuate-channel 22; this solid portion, it will be observed, lying opposite the end of the val-ve port 15, and thus pre- Y "venting` the oil Afrom wasting into said port vas the latter sweeps past the distributing channel y25 once during each revolution.

.The manner in which the stated objects of the invention are secured will be readily apparent from the foregoing description, from which it will be seen that the conical valve body l1 is not only free to adjust itself lengthwise of its seat, but by reason of the clearance between its Ibore and the valve shaft'l and the universal joint coupling between said shaft and valve, is free to automatically adjust itself in every radial direction to its seat,.thus making it unnecessary to maintain the axisI of the shaft al- Vways exactly coincident with the axis of the valve or .valve seat, vv.as illustrated in eX- aggerated form in Fig. 4. Vhile, therefore, my construction provides for axial differences between the shaft and valve, it will be observed vthat it does not permit of any angular differences or lost motion in the direction of rotation which isvery important in insuring' permanent timing' ofthe valve. fill wear between the valve and its seat is also automatically taken up. vsind Where a plurality'of valves for a multi-cylinder engine are vmounted on and driven byy a single shaft (which is a 'common arrangement in practice) .the described construction obviously makes `each valve entirely independent of the others in respect tol its capacity for automa-tic adjustment to its seat. It'will also be apparent that'the oilin'g features described and shown insures an ample supply of lubricant to the valve and its Athorough distribution over the l'latter lwithout any appreciable waste through the' valve and cylinder ports. A

l have hereins'hown and described one practical embodiment I-of .my invention, `but it is manifest that the ydetails Aof structure and arrangement may be considerably modified without involving any departure from the principle ofthe invention for sacrificingany of the advantageslthereef. vHencey l reserve all such variations and*modificaL tions as fall within the spiritY of the appended claims. 'n Y' l c laiin'- v y l. ln a rotary valve structure, :the coin,- bination of a 4conical valve-seat, a valve ,cooperating with said seat and formed with an axial bore and with o-ppvositel'y disposed radialfslots, spring means urging said valve cndwise to a snug lit on said seat, a valveaetuating shaft of less diameter than the bore of said valve and extending through said bore, said shaft having a flattened por- "tion, the flatsidjes of which lie yatright-angl es to said slots, and a coupling'yoke stradf dling the flattened portion of said shaft yand slidable thereonin the direction of'said .flat sides and formed with radially extending arms lying in said slots and slidable lengthwise of the latter. y

2. ln a rotary valve structure, the combination of a conical valve-seat,"a valve cooperating withsaid seat and formed with an axial bore having an enlarged'portion at one end forming Ia spring socket and with oppositely disposed radial slots k.communicating at their innerends'with socket, a valveactuating shaft of less diameter than the bore of said valve and extending through said bore, said shaft having a 'flattened portiony the flat sides of whiih lie at right angles to said slots?, aV coupling yoke stiaddlingl the iattened portion of Said shaft and slidable thereon in thedirection of said flat sides and formed With radially extendingfarnis lying in said slots and slidable lengthwise of the latter7 and. a Compression spring housed in said socket and eonlined endwise between the bottom of'said socket and said coupling yoke.

3. In a rotary valve structure7 the coinbination of a valve housing having a conical valve seat formed with a longitudinal oil-distributing channel extending approximately the full length thereof and also having an oil supply duet opening through said valve seat slightly beyond one-,i end of said` oil-distributing channel, and a 'rotary valve oo -operating with said Valve seatysaid Valve having a port extending transverselyof aportion oi' the cireuinerence thereof and also having an `arcuate channel extending transversely of the remaining portion of the lcircumference of said Valve andflyingbeyond the transverse plane of one side ofsaid port, said areuateohannel being oi sufficient Width to register With the proximate ends of said distributing channel and/supplyI 

